Wrap-around carriers are commonly used to package beverage cans and other articles. Basically, wrap-around carriers are formed by grouping articles in the arrangement they will be in after packaging, then wrapping a carrier blank around the group. The blank is tightly drawn about the articles and the ends of the blank are connected to each other, typically at the bottom of the carrier. Cutouts are often provided at the upper and lower portions of the side panels in order to grip the end portions of articles protruding through the cutouts and allow the blank to be even more tightly wrapped. Wrap-around carriers are economical and sturdy and are well accepted by the public.
Wrap-around carriers by their nature have been limited as to the number of articles they can hold. Normally, articles are arranged in two adjacent rows, so that the sides of the carrier engage the outer portions of the articles in each row while the inner portions of the articles in the rows are in abutting relationship. In this manner the rows of articles are securely held in place against outward movement through the open ends of the carrier. If three rows were to be packaged the risk of articles being squeezed out through the open ends of the carrier is increased since the articles in the middle row would not be in contact with the wrapper but would be held in place only by the pressure exerted by adjacent articles in the adjacent outer rows. Because wrap-around carriers normally can accommodate only two rows of articles, the number of articles that can be packaged is governed to a large extent by the desirable length of the package. Packages containing six articles are the most common, although packages containing eight articles can also be conveniently handled. Depending on the size of the articles, packages containing more than eight articles of the size of beverage cans are not convenient to handle.
It would be highly desirable to be able to package three rows of articles in a wrap-around carrier in order to increase the number of articles which can conveniently be packaged. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a wrap-around carrier capable of packaging three rows of articles.